Japan steps on exports to South Korea are 'necessary measures related to security', a Japanese Foreign Ministry official noted ahead of the visit of a South Korean foreign ministry official handling Asia-Pacific affairs to Japan to discuss trade.

The meeting of South Korean diplomats coincides with the planned working-level talks between industry ministry officials from the two sides to discuss Japan's trade restrictions and its current review of whether to exclude South Korea from its "white list" of countries entitled to preferential treatment for trade.